


Klance Week 2020

by the_forgotten_daydreamer



Series: Voltron: Legendary Defender [17]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Beach Day, Birthday, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), College AU, Cuban Lance (Voltron), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gay Keith (Voltron), Hurt/Comfort, Japanese Keith (Voltron), Keith is 24, Kissing, Klance Week, Klance Week 2020, Lance is 23, M/M, Making Out, Modern AU, No Smut, Rangers, Sick Lance (Voltron), Sleepy Cuddles, Summer, in ch7 Keith is 20 and Lance is 19, klanceweek20, motorcycle, movie, some swear words here and there but very little, the previous four tags apply to ch3 only, they/them pronouns for Pidge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:47:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25728418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_forgotten_daydreamer/pseuds/the_forgotten_daydreamer
Summary: Seven fluff fics (prompts created by@klanceweekon Tumblr) to celebrate this iconic ship. Enjoy!
Relationships: Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Keith & Voltron: Legendary Defender Team, Keith/Lance (Voltron), Lance & Voltron: Legendary Defender Team
Series: Voltron: Legendary Defender [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1680511
Comments: 31
Kudos: 160





	1. summer

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own VLD nor these characters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that Klance week went from July 26th to August 1st, but I had many other things to work on and had to start on this later than scheduled. I hope it's okay! I'm planning on posting all the chapters before August 8th.

Keith sat under the beach umbrella, knees drawn close to his chest as he warily avoided the sun; the memory of his skin peeling off after a terrible sunburn still haunted him in his sleep, and he had no intention of repeating that incident. His corvine hair was tied, and he fanned himself to no avail. Amethyst eyes fell on Lance’s elegant form as he skillfully rode the teal waves, his stance on the board showing his confidence when in his natural element. At one point, toward the end of the wave, Lance stumbled and fell off the board, emerging an instant later to prop himself on it again and regain his breath. He looked toward the beach, grinning at his boyfriend who was acting like a literal vampire- more than usual, that is. The Cuban decided to call it for the day and got out of the water, smoothing his hair back, and causing Keith’s heart to hammer in his chest violently. 

Lance’s tan skin shone under the sun as droplets of salty water dripped down his sculpted thighs and arms, surfing board under his arm, the costume stuck to his body- Lance tried to hide it when he pried the fabric away from the middle of his buttcheeks with his free hand, but Keith saw it all and erupted in laughter.

“I saw that, you know?”

“Hey, not my fault if even the swim trunks love my ass!” Lance pouted, planted the board in the sand and grabbed the towel. He skillfully put it on the white sand and flopped on it, laid on his stomach as he looked at Keith fondly, a tad of understandable concern in his azure eyes.

“Are you hot?”

“People seem to say that a lot…” 

“I meant- well, actually, you’re not wrong.” Lance chuckled, “But seriously, are you alright?”

Keith nodded, laying down like Lance, but still in the shade, “I’m fine. Don’t worry, babe.”

Lance hummed, and got a good look at Keith: he looked paler than usual, and it didn’t take much to understand that it was because of the extremely thick layer of sunscreen he’d put on his face and arms- at least, what wasn’t covered from the black T-shirt he had on. 

“You should’ve worn a white tee, the black one will only make you feel hotter.” Lance pointed out, “Even if black suits you better…”

Keith looked at his shirt, and shrugged, “I’ll keep that in mind next time, thanks.” 

He then got up and grabbed the cooler, extracting two popsicles from it and handing one to his boyfriend, who accepted with a gentle grin- he got the blue one, obviously, while Keith got the pink one.

Lance sucked on his popsicle and smirked at Keith who did the same, though his snicker fell on absent eyes as the paler man was currently captivated by the rhythmic splashing of the ocean waves as they broke on the shore. He noticed, eventually.

“What?”

“Nothing.” Lance lied, “You’re handsome, you know? Like, really handsome.”

“Oh, we’re being extra nice today, aren’t we?” Keith teased, and Lance gasped dramatically, almost dropping his popsicle.

“Hey! I’m always nice!” he screeched, high pitched, “A normal person would have replied ‘thank you, Lance, you are handsome too.’ but apparently I’m stuck with a broody vampire.” Lance joked, and Keith only shrugged, playing indifferent.

“I’m not broody, I just don’t tell lies…” he muttered, closing his eyes, and opening one to glance at Lance’s priceless look of betrayal as he pouted and turned around, not facing Keith anymore. 

Keith snickered and gingerly got out in the sun, patting Lance’s shoulder, “I’m kidding, babe.” No reply came, and the Japanese man only sighed, patting him again with more insistence, earning a groan.

“ _No talk me, I’m angy._ ” Lance murmured, fighting a snicker as he crossed his arms and curled on himself further. He didn’t expect Keith to turn him on his back and flop on him, their noses now brushing, mouths lingering close. Lance smirked.

“Count Dracula decided to join me out in the sun? I’m honoured.” he breathed out, pressing a delicate peck on Keith’s soft lips, and earning more than what he was hoping for as Keith opened his mouth slightly and let his tongue delicately make its way into Lance’s mouth, who returned the kiss with just as much passion. The Cuban let his hand gently fall on Keith’s hips, and Keith cradled Lance’s damp, chocolate hair in his fingers, careful not to pull it. 

They pulled apart shortly after, both grinning. Keith brushed Lance’s bangs out of his forehead, and rubbed his thumb on his boyfriend’s humid cheek. Then, he gasped in surpirse, but chuckled.

“Your tongue's purple...” he pointed out with a childish smirk, and Lance grinned too.

“Yours too!”

Keith laughed, dimples showing on the corner of his mouth as he brought a hand up to cover it. His nose scrunched up as he laughed, and little wrinkes formed at the corner of his eyes as he let them flutter close. Lance’s heart leapt in his throat. It was the simple things that always made him realise just how much he loved Keith, how much he cared about him and never wanted the happy moments to come to an end. He brought his hands out from under his nape and cupped Keith’s face, squishing it slightly.

“Wow, I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Lance.” 

They kissed again, briefly, faces in each other’s delicate grip. They could feel the warmth of that embrace, the ocean waves crashing in the background, the sun kissing their skin- Keith’s eyes snapped open and he pulled apart.

“Fuck!”

“W-what?” Lance asked, confused at Keith’s sudden look of fear. The Japanese scrambled to his feet, hissing at the boiling sand burning his feet, and haphazardly tossed his shirt away, speeding toward the ocean. Lance followed him, not sure if the situation was funny or scary.

“What happened?”

“My legs _burn!_ I didn’t put any sunscreen on them and now they’re on fire.” Keith whined, trying to enjoy the cool water that soothed his pain. Lance huffed out a laugh and dove, only to emerge again under Keith and holding him in a sort of bridal carry, the Japanese’s weight greatly diminished since they were both in the water. Keith wrapped his arms around Lance’s neck, and planted a gentle kiss on his cheek.

“My half-naked prince, coming to the rescue… How heroic!”

“Anything to save my vampire lover from the pain that the sun inflicts.” Lance played along, smirking, “Do you want to go for a swim?”

“I’m not that great at swimming, you know…”

“C’mon, the water’s something like six feet deep here! It’ll be fine if you trust me.” 

Keith hummed, and then nodded, “Alright, alright, let’s do this...” he exhaled, flashing a timid smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ❗DON'T READ AND RUN❗ Leave kudos and comments if you enjoyed this, please. Thank you :D


	2. campfire

“Come on you stupid thing- aah!” Lance screamed in surprise and stumbled back from the finally lit campfire, eyes shining in pride. His arms shot up in the air and he grinned, “Ohh yeah, the hero does it again!”

“Scouts learn to light fires when they’re, like, twelve years old.” Keith pointed out, sitting next to him with logs under his arms. Lance pouted.

“Oh, I beg your pardon, mister American ranger!” Lance rolled his eyes, and Keith only snickered, resting his head on his boyfriend’s bony shoulder. The sound of wood creaking in the flames filled the air along with the borderline deafening chirping of the cicadas hidden in the trees, the pungent scent of burnt wood tickling Keith and Lance’s throats.

The sun had set only a few minutes prior, and a fading yellow line could still be spotted at the horizon, almost completely gone under the cobalt shade of the night sky; scattered, minuscule stars gleamed timidly, the half moon of a pale grey color. 

Lance cradled Keith’s hand in his, fingers entangled firmly, and placed his head on Keith’s, which was on Lance’s shoulder already. They could feel each other’s heartbeat, each other’s unique scent and breath. He felt Keith’s head moving so he removed his, and he found himself facing his boyfriend, a dreamy look in the Japanese’s gaze as he bit his lower lip and scanned Lance’s face. The latter blushed, clearing his throat.

“Cariño, why’re you looking at me like that?”

“Because I love you?” he asked, sounding more like a question rather than a statement, “Can’t I look at my boyfriend without my motives being questioned?”

“I- I mean, yeah, sure. I just thought… Nevermind.” Lance shook his head, lowering his gaze. He and Keith had been together for almost three years, now, but Lance still felt uneasy sometimes, since in his previous relationships he had always been the one expected to initiate a make-out session, or something more. And used to be absolutely okay with that, but now that he was more mature he didn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable, especially Keith, so he would always be particularly careful and clear in stating his intentions for fear of looking greedy and maybe scaring Keith. The Japanese man knew this, and it was one of the billion reasons why he loved Lance: a gentle man, caring and respectful, willing to give him as much space as he needed, so attentive and devoted. 

And he understood what Lance had been too afraid to say a few instants earlier. He breathed out next to his boyfriend's ear, delicately, and the two lowered on the ground, the uncomfortable waterproof tarp under them rustling as the two young men exchanged passionate kisses, bodies squirming. Keith sat on top of Lance’s lap, and started to haphazardly undo the buttons of his shirt-

“Ew. Am I interrupting something?” someone asked behind them, and they quickly pulled apart and scrambled back, panting, eyes wide, hair plastered to their foreheads.

Oh, right. They’d completely forgotten about the others.

“Hi, Pidge…” they said in unison, and the engineer rolled their honey eyes, tossing the pieces necessary to pitch the tent down on the ground. An instant later, Hunk, Allura, Coran, Shiro and Adam arrived too, everyone with something in their hands.

Shiro immediately noticed how fanned his brother and Lance were, and chuckled, but didn’t speak a word on it, and busied himself with pitching the tent. Keith scratched the back of his head, eyes low, and Lance got up, embarrassed like the time when his mother had caught him practicing kisses with a pillow when he was sixteen.

-

Coran told a story from his youth, eliciting chuckles and comments from the others; he gesticulated widely, changing his voice and purposefully exaggerating the situations to entertain his friends. In all honesty, Keith and Lance weren’t exactly listening, too busy munching on their sticky s’mores and melting into each other’s gaze, exchanging smiles and winks, not going unnoticed by their friends who simply played along and pretended to ignore everything- they knew how purposeless it was to interrupt them or scold them, and since they were simply being two younglings in love, everyone had collectively decided to let them be. After a while, around three in the morning, they decided to call it a night and headed for the tents they’d pitched around the fire. Adam and Shiro shared one, and so did Lance and Keith. Pidge had insisted on sleeping alone in their own tent, and so did Coran-  _ “I snore very, veeeery loudly, I do not want to wake anybody up!”.  _ Allura and Hunk didn’t mind sharing a tent, so they did: everyone could hear them snickering all night long as they whispered and chatted about something that the others couldn’t hear, but they didn’t mind as long as they were having fun and not being excessively noisy.

Lance flopped on the thin mattress first, immediately followed by Keith who was a bit more delicate, for fear that the inflatable object would pop and leave them to sleep on the rocky ground. 

“You sleepy?” Keith asked, propping himself up on the elbows, a hand under his chin as he gazed at his boyfriend, who only hummed, low.

“Mhm...” 

The Japanese smiled tenderly, kissing Lance’s forehead, then his hair, taking the scent of peach shampoo, a tad of petrichor smell there too. The other man smiled softly, prying his eyes open with great effort, and raising a hand to place on Keith’s sharp jaw.

“Y’wanna cuddle?” he asked, voice hoarse. 

“Only if you feel like it, babe.” Keith replied, whispering, and Lance nodded, scooting closer to his boyfriend who laid down too. After a well-deserved cuddling session, Lance and Keith realised how tired they were, the aftermath of a long day of hiking making itself be heard through aching joints and broken backs, and the couple decided to end the night with a delicate kiss, the moonlight penetrating along with the yellow light of the fire shining on the entangled bodies. They fell asleep soon; Lance spooned Keith, a lanky leg throw on the Japanese man’s body as the two snored softly, still holding hands, Keith curled on himself under Lance’s warm embrace, the latter’s nose scrunching up involuntarily as the mullet hair tickled it. 

The following morning, they were pleased to find that the groupchat had been flooded with pictures of them, and actually selected a few to print out, eventually. It didn't matter if they had rivulets of saliva dripping down their chins, or if their hair was messy- the simple nights were always the ones to cherish.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ❗DON'T READ AND RUN❗ Leave kudos and comments if you enjoyed this, please. Thank you :D


	3. birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a sickfic, but nothing graphic, I want to be good with these two for once.

Keith had planned everything in the most meticulous way, taking care of the smallest details, throwing every receipt away- not in the kitchen bin, or Lance would’ve found it. He was determined to give his boyfriend the best birthday of his life, and nothing was going to stop him. Or so he thought.

The night before, Lance had been violently sick, catching maybe a hour of sleep here and there, uneasy rest interrupted by the nausea and the dizziness that had taken over him during the night, making it impossible for both he and Keith to wake up well rested- since they hadn’t even fallen asleep in the first place. Keith had cursed his luck, but the discouragement had rapidly turned into worry for his sick boyfriend. It was nothing to worry about, since the fever was low and the vomiting had ceased sometime around five in the morning, but Lance still looked miserable, his face scrunched up in pain as he rolled on the bed, tossing the blankets, shivering despite the boiling heat of July, sweating profusely and tossing the wet rag on his forehead away, only for Keith to put it there again, much to the Cuban’s annoyance toward the foreign presence.

Keith decided to get up, and rapidly called the restaurant he’d booked a table at, asking if it was possible to posticipate the reservation of a couple of days. After that, he texted on the groupchat that he’d created to organise a surprise party for Lance with their friends.

 **> KoGAYne: ** _hi guys, lance got very sick earlier. i don't think he’s contagious but i wanna play it safe and let him rest if it’s ok for you… im so sorry for the short notice :(_

 **> Hunkalicious:** _oh noo!! we can reschedule, i hope he gets better soon!! keep us posted pls!!_

 **> Pidgey:** _ow damn, sorry for that… we could make a video-call later if he feels like it idk?_

 **> KoGAYne:** mmm _yea that’d be cool, i’ll let you guys know_

 **> She-ra:** _sorry, i was in the shower. is lance alright? what happened? poor guy._

 **> Coranical:** _im so sorry to hear lance’s sick, and on his birthday no less… :o is he ok now?_

 **> KoGAYne:** _he’s ok, hasn’t thrown up in almost 3h, but he’s running a fever. idk im a bit worried tbh..._

 **> TheQueen™:** _ow that’s a bummer, poor lonce. let us know if you need anything ok??_

 **> KoGAYne:** _thanks, you guys are the best :)) i’ll try to make him eat now, be back soon._

He put the phone down, and glanced back inside the bedroom; Lance was sprawled on the bed, visibly sweating, skin ashen, breath laboured. Keith’s heart clenched in his chest, and he headed inside the room to turn the fan on and opened the center-hung window for a change of air; then, he sat on the bed, and smoothed Lance’s sweaty bangs out of his damp forehead, hissing at the heat.

“Mhm…” Lance moaned softly, and leaned into the cool, soothing touch of Keith’s constantly freezing hands, “S’nice… ‘nd cold...”

“You’re boiling, Lance. Anything hurts?”

Lance shook his head, leaning into the touch further, a ghostly smile on his too pale face. Keith exhaled, and cradled his hair delicately, rubbing the scalp, “Maybe being sick is not the most conventional way of spending your birthday, but I promise that we’ll celebrate properly once you get better, alright?” 

The sick man’s lips quivered and he looked on the verge of tears, but nodded, and let Keith plant a gentle, feather-light kiss on his forehead. When the Japanese tried to get up, Lance grabbed his wrist, weakly, and Keith looked down to meet ocean eyes gleaming with despair. His throat felt tight.

“Lance, babe. I have to go make you some food-”

“Dun go, pl’se…” Lance pleaded, eyes teary.

Keith shook his head and gently pried Lance’s wrist away, kissing the back of the hand before placing it onto the mattress and looking at his boyfriend with the softest look he could muster.

“How about you give me ten minutes to make breakfast for you, and then after you eat it we cuddle all day long? The others also suggested making a video-call tonight, if you want.” 

Lance pondered for a solid minute, and Keith feared that his boyfriend had actually fallen asleep with his eyes open, but he eventually nodded, incredibly slowly, and let his head flop on the sweaty pillow before sighing. He watched as Keith disappeared into the corridor in a hurry, and let his tired eyes flicker close.

Keith wasn’t the best cook, but he was certainly able to make a simple breakfast for a sick man. He put some water to boil and readied a clean cup and a teabag, already throwing a slice of lemon into it; after that, he prepared a bowl of oatmeal, putting in a sliced banana and chocolate chips- it was still a birthday breakfast, he didn’t want to feed Lance plain oatmeal. When everything was ready, he gingerly made his way toward the bedroom, careful not to drop the trail, and noticed that Lance had fallen into an uneasy slumber, which was better than being awake and in agony, after all. Keith took advantage of that and quickly made himself coffee, chugging the boiling liquid and munching on some cookies on his way back to the room; Lance was still asleep.

Keith sat on the bed and gently rubbed Lance’s back to rouse him, not wanting to startle him further. That was enough to wake the sick man up, who blinked once, then twice, a muffled groan escaping from his lips as he slurred something that Keith interpreted as _“Why did you wake me up?”_

“I’m so sorry, but you need to eat something, babe.” Keith explained, “Then you can go back to sleep, alright?”

Lance groaned, distraught, and reluctantly sat up, limbs shaking, sweat dripping down his forehead in copious quantity as he tried to blink the haze away. He grabbed the spoon and slowly, painfully ate the oatmeal, feeling Keith’s worried gaze on him and blushing a bit at that- he could always blame that on the fever, he thought.

“Dun look at me as if m’gonna keel over any second, cariño…” he chuckled, “M’okay, ‘s just a bug.” 

“That doesn’t mean that I can’t worry, Lance. You know I hate it when people get sick, especially if it’s someone I love a lot… I can’t change that.” he said, offering him the cup of tea, mouthing a “careful.” as he did so.

Lance blew air on the tea, and slowly sipped it, enjoying the warmth spreading inside of him, but not much the one that threatened to make his skin peel off. He glanced at Keith as he got up and headed for the bathroom, returning shortly after with a bucket, some clean towels and a bowl filled with cold water. He sat the bucket down on Lance’s bedside table, and sat back on the bed, dumping the towel inside the water and applying it around Lance’s neck, movement precise and delicate. Lance smiled, and Keith noticed with a tad of confusion.

“What?”

“Y’re kind…” 

Keith scoffed, smirking, “That’s what boyfriends do, babe. I care about you so I’m kind to you, it’s that easy.” he finished, and almost simultaneously Lance put down the cup, letting himself fall back on the mattress. Keith did the same, and soon the Cuban felt Keith’s icy feet brushing against his leg, sending a shiver down his spine.

“I wanna cuddle but s’hot…”

“It’s alright, don’t worry. We can stay like this, if you want.” Keith reassured him, and Lance nodded, offering a sweaty hand that was soon intercepted by Keith’s slightly callous one.

“I wish I could make this day better for you… I can’t even give you the present now.” he murmured, and heard Lance chuckling.

“S’the best way to spend my birthday, m’happy like this.” he said, voice watery, his grip on Keiith’s hand tightening, “I love you, Keith…” he murmured, closing his eyes.

“I love you too, Lance. Rest well.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ❗DON'T READ AND RUN❗ Leave kudos and comments if you enjoyed this, please. Thank you :D


	4. rangers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in all honesty, I don't think I understood what they really meant with this prompt, but anyway... TW for possible inaccurancy, I did my research but I still may have made some mistakes.

Lance and Keith paced side by side in the forest, dressed in their green and gray uniforms, Keith fanning himself with the beige hat as Lance snickered next to him.

“I bet you’re not used to this heat, huh?”

“It’s very humid, more than anything else…”

“Yeah, it’s true, but you’ll get used to it. After working here for some years, I can assure you that the first summer’s the worst, but it gets better.” Lance reassured him, patting Keith’s shoulder lightly. The two had known each other for barely one year, when Keith had started to work there, and after working together for some months, they eventually fell in love, and became a couple. Still, they couldn’t behave like they used to in private if they were in their uniforms, so their interactions on the workplace had always been very awkward and obviously not heartfelt. Technically, Lance was Keith’s supervisor, too, since he was only a beginner, and this didn’t make things any easier.

“Today we’re here to prevent fires. In particular, there are some zones that tend to be more prone to that, and we have to check and eventually contact our colleagues and the fire fighters.” Lance explained, “Around this time of the year, it’s not rare to come across wildfires, and the key to cause as little damage as possible is to prevent the flames from spreading in the first place. That’s where we come in.”

“How, exactly?”

“You see, when a tree catches fire, it simply does. If only one tree catches fire, the damage is minimum, but if the fire spreads, the wildlife is in danger. So, we essentially have to check if there is anything around certain strands of trees that could aliment a fire, like huh, dry bushes or fire trenches that haven’t been perfected.” Lance explained, widely gesticulating, “The temperatures are supposed to get higher next week, so we gotta hurry with the survey. We already know which places we have to check, and that’s why we decided to break into smaller groups and take the newbies with us too. It’s faster this way.”

“I’m not a newbie.” Keith pouted, and Lance chuckled.

“Compared to Coran who’s been doing this for over thirty years, or even to me, even if I’ve been here for four years only- yes, you are definitely a newbie.” he laughed, “But there’s nothing wrong with that, cari- Keith.” Lance corrected himself, clearing his throat. Keith smirked, teasing.

“Someone’s breaking protocol, huh?”

“Am not.” Lance retorted, blushing slightly, “Just focus on the bushes, idiot.” 

The two kept walking, and Lance skillfully spotted a couple of sites that would’ve needed their intervention later, while Keith still struggled to understand what exactly he was looking for, but kept trying, undaunted. The Japanese man had pointed at some bushes and trees so far, thinking that it was what Lance needed to find now, but it apparently wasn’t, since Lance had simply shaken his head and showed him what a dry bush that needed to be uprooted looked like, calmly explaining how to tell the difference. With enough practice, Keith was going to become good at this, he’d said.

Then, he stumbled across a root, quite literally, and he tripped on it, falling down with a muffled thud. Lance was at his side in an instant.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m okay, just tripped.” Keith groaned, grabbing the hand that Lance had offered him and getting back on his feet, massaging his sore back and failing to suppress a wince. His boyfriend noticed, and eyed him with concern.

“Did you hit your back? Can you walk? Let me-” he said, frantically grabbing the walkie talkie. A hand on his halted him, and he brought his eyes up from the device to Keith’s amused face.

“Lance, hey, I’m okay. It will barely bruise, I assure you I’ve sustained worse injuries in kindergarten.” he chuckled, and saw Lance’s shoulder sagging, finally relaxed. “You can’t be so tense every time something this minor happens, you know? Geez, so apprehensive...”

“The newbie has no saying in what a senior ranger does.” Lance muttered, sticking his tongue out, “Especially if this newbie trips like a toddler.”

“That root was camouflaged, I didn’t even see it!”

“In case you haven’t noticed, we are literally in the middle of a forest. Everything is ‘camouflaged’, man.” and he made sure that the air quotes were clear enough. Keith scoffed, turning around and proceeding with the survey with a pout.

Lance rolled his eyes, “Are you seriously throwing a tantrum?”

“Am not.”

“Well, how the tables have turned…” he mocked, and approached Keith. A hand hovered above his shoulder, hesitant, fingers trembling; he let it fall back on his hip.

“I just want you to be safe, alright?”

“I know, Lance, I know.” Keith exhaled, turning around, “It’s just- everything’s so weird now that we’re… You know.”

“A couple? You can use that word, it’s not illegal or anything.” he pointed out, crossing his arms. His ocean gaze fell to his boots and he sighed, nodding his head.

“You’re right, though, this _is_ pretty awkward. I mean, I wish there was a way of showing you that I love you without actually breaking the code, Keith. Sort of a signal not as explicit as a kiss, like a secret word or whatever.” 

Keith hummed, pondering. “How about… Any sentence with ‘space ranger’ in it?”

Lance deadpanned, raising a thin eyebrow as he scratched his chin, “Space ranger..? Why?”

“It sounds cool, plus you and I both like space-related stuff. It’s very discreet, too.” Keith explained. “It sounded better in my head.” he admitted, eventually.

A chuckle erupted from his boyfriend’s mouth, but the man was nodding. It was decided.

“Space ranger it is.”

-

“Anything to report?” Shiro asked, flicking through the pages of a manual, not raising his gaze from it. As Hunk was about to reply, Lance and Keith stepped inside the cabin.

“We’re back, sir.” the senior member announced. Shiro briefly smiled at them, and returned his attention to the book. 

“I was just asking Hunk if he had anything to report. Stay here, guys.”

“Well,” Hunk started, “Pidge and I spotted some fire trenches that need to be done again, but the survey went better than what we were expecting, sir. Once Allura gives us permission, we will contact the fire department to ask for help.”

“Excellent, well done, Hunk. Say my compliments to Pidge when you see them.” Shiro grinned, “And you, Lance?”

“Keith and I noticed some dry bushes that need to be uprooted as soon as possible, and in addition to that there is a fire trench that has been ruined by the storms and rains we’ve had this spring, so we will ask for Allura’s permission too, sir.” 

The man nodded, pleased, and let Hunk go. Lance patted his friend’s back and watched him leave. Keith was tense, and almost jumped when Shiro called his name.

“Tell me, Keith, how did you find this experience? Was Lance a good instructor?”

“I learnt plenty of new information, sir, and I think I will be able to determine what can cause fires to spread on my own by the end of the season thanks to Lance’s teachings.” he said, visibly nervous, “Thank you for letting a newbie like me go with a senior, sir.”

The man chuckled, waving a hand, “Don’t be so shaky, I won’t eat you, man. Come on, go. Dismissed.” he said, and Lance and Keith both left, waving at the man.

Keith was still trembling, and Lance elbowed him gently, “You did good, space ranger. Very good.”

And Keith grinned. “You too, space ranger, you too..."

The kiss that they exchanged before getting in their cars wasn't discreet as the signal, but it was worth the risk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ❗DON'T READ AND RUN❗ Leave kudos and comments if you enjoyed this, please. Thank you :D


	5. movie

Rain poured outside, grey clouds filtering the pale sun, not one person walking down the streets- everything was quiet, as if the world was asleep, fallen into a deep, cozy slumber. And Lance was bored, incredibly bored. He’d been restlessly pacing in his and Keith’s apartment for hours, flopping on the bed to check his phone every now and then, opening a random book and putting it back on the shelf after reading a couple of pages at most, counting how many steps it took to cross the living room. He glanced at the clock, restless, and sighed when he saw that Keith wasn’t going to be back from work for another half hour. 

But Lance didn’t want to wait anymore, he couldn’t- he was antsy and fidgety, annoyed by the lack of options. If it were for him, he would’ve gone back to work three whole days prior, but his boss had ordered him to stay at home for at least a week after he’d healed, and Lance didn’t have much of a choice. He was fine, healthy-ish, he wanted to go back to work, but he couldn’t, and being useless and without a single thing to do profoundly annoyed him.

And that’s when a light bulb went off in his brain. Lance bolted to the kitchen, frantically rummaging in the pantry, standing on his toes as he searched for-

“Corn kernels!” the man exclaimed, holding the bag in his hands and grinning widely. Now he knew what to do.

Lance set the corn aside and headed toward the living room again, lighting a couple of candles and placing them on the coffee table next to the couch. He went to retrieve the warmest blankets he owned and tossed them on the couch, then he grabbed his phone and connected it to the TV, already picking a movie that he knew his boyfriend loved- he did too.

Then, he went back to the kitchen and readied a big bowl, and then proceeded to cook popcorn- the microwave was broken, so he had to use the stovetop, flinching as the kernels popped. And that’s when he heard the door being opened.

“Hi babe, I’m home!” called Keith from the doorstep, and Lance glanced at him from the kitchen. 

“Hello, mi amor.” he chirped, “How did your day go?”

He heard Keith exhaling, sounding extremely tired, “Had a couple of annoying clients that kept bugging me, but I’m used to it. What about you? Did you get sick again?”

Lance hummed, “No, no, I’m good. I’m making popcorn now!”

Keith chuckled, joining him in the kitchen, wrapping his muscular arms around Lance’s torso, under his armpits, and resting his head on his boyfriend’s back.

“And what’s the occasion? I saw you lit some pretty fancy candles, too...” 

“I need cuddles, and you need to relax, so I opted for a movie night. Just the two of us.” Lance explained, “If it’s okay for you...”

The Japanese man smirked, letting his hands slide under Lance’s shirt and massaging his stomach, rubbing it gently, feeling the familiar curves and warmth under his fingertips, and Lance shivered at the sudden presence. “Don’t mind if I say yes, then.” Keith murmured, tone sheepish.

“Then, go put something more comfortable on. I’ll wait for you.” Lance said, turning around to kiss his boyfriend’s forehead, hands buried in his cherry-scented hair. He pulled away and grinned, and watched Keith leave with a sly smirk on his face.

-

Keith and Lance laid on the couch, their legs entangled, Keith’s head on Lance’s chest, feeling his steady, reassuring heartbeat, the breath inside of him, his soul pulsing. The rain still pounded outside, the sound of raindrops hitting against the windows being a comforting lullaby. Lance glanced down at him, noticing that he wasn’t watching the TV anymore, but in that exact moment Keith returned his gaze to the screen, and Lance chuckled, munching on the popcorn slowly and letting himself sink further into the couch, snuggled under the blankets, huddling Keith for warmth.

_ “What’s the matter?” _

_ “It’s- you’re scaring me. I have this weird feeling that you’re going to leave… Howl, tell me what’s going on. Please, I don’t care if you’re a monster…”  _

Lance hummed, “Cariño, would you care if I were a monster?”

“Mh, yes and no. I mean, depends on what kind of monster, I guess..?” Keith hesitated.

“What about, huh, mothman?”

“Mothman isn’t a monster, don’t get me started on that again, Lance.” he hissed, earning a chuckle from his boyfriend.

_ “-flower shop. Right? I’m sure you’d be good at it!” _

_ “So you  _ are  _ going away… Please, Howl, I know I can be of help to you. Even though I’m not pretty, and all I’m good at is cleaning...” _

_ “Sophie! Sophie, you’re beautiful!” _

Gleaming, amethyst eyes rose up to meet ocean ones, calm as the depths of the azure sea. Lance smiled at Keith, huffing out a breath, slightly embarrassed for the sudden attention.

“What?” asked Lance.

“You’re beautiful. And I love you. And yes, I guess I would love you even if you were a monster. Like, Howl’s kind of monster. Or mothman. Even if he’s  _ not  _ a monster.” 

The Cuban man chuckled, taken aback by the sudden statement, “That means a lot to me, Keith. The feeling’s mutual, you know? I would love you if you were Howl’s kind of monster or mothman’s too-”

“-Even if he’s not a monster, technically.”

“Even if he’s not a monster, yeah.” he laughed, and Keith did too. The latter propped himself up to be at Lance’s height, and let his lips met his boyfriend’s, soft and warm, slightly humid, welcoming. The kiss was greedy, but somewhat delicate, tongues fighting and twisting in a convoluted dance, teeth clanking every now and then, the two men muttering muffled apologies, breaths heaving. Keith’s hands were on Lance’s pecks, under his shirt, and Lance’s were on his boyfriend’s flanks, tracing the bare skin, knowing each and every part of his body. They pulled apart, breathless.

“My God. I love you.”

“I love you too, so much.” 

By the time that the credits rolled on the screen, Lance and Keith were both half-naked, the blankets mindlessly scattered on the floor. They snored softly, still wrapped in each other’s arms, the grip tight yet gentle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howl's Moving Castle is my fav Ghibli movie, I just love it so much... But the English dub is terrible, I'm sorry but it's true.  
> -  
> ❗DON'T READ AND RUN❗ Leave kudos and comments if you enjoyed this, please. Thank you :D


	6. motorcycle

“Babe, is everything ready?”

“Almost, give me a sec!” 

Keith nodded, leaning onto the jamb of the kitchen door, the leather of his black jacket squeaking softly at the movement. The man eyed Lance as he busied himself with the food he was preparing, humming ‘Don’t stop me now’ as he did so, a couple of dance moves thrown here and there when he had to move to get something. The two had planned to have a picnic on the lake, the day prior, and since it wasn’t far from their house, and the day was hot, they decided to go there with Keith’s motorcycle. As Lance had said when they were thinking about it, riding a bike in two was “way more romantic than going by car!”, so Keith had not objected. He agreed to that, too.

Finally, Lance started to put the sandwiches and cans inside the little cooler, and he picked it up, smirking. “Ready to go!” he chirped, and planted a soft kiss on Keith’s cheek as he exited the kitchen, “Did you pack the tarp and towels?” 

The Japanese hummed, “Everything’s already in the bag, I’m just waiting for you to hurry.”

“Hey! Next time you make food- no, wait, I’d rather live. Pretend I didn’t say anything.” Lance muttered, sticking his tongue out jokingly as he grabbed the helmet and put it on his head, securing it, “C’mon on, let’s go, mr impatient! Also, unrelated to everything, but you look good in that jacket.” he said, biting his lip.

Keith chuckled, pulling the thing around himself tighter, grinning, “Thanks, babe. It’s the one you bought me, y’know?”

“Yeah, that’s why it suits you. I never make mistakes when it comes to these things!” Lance joked, and earned a laugh from his boyfriend, who gently swung an arm around the man’s bony hips and kissed him, slowly, savouring the flavor of Lance’s lips and breath. They pulled apart, and Keith closed the door behind him, and put his helmet on, too. He secured the bag on the bike, and mounted, patiently waiting for Lance to adjust to the slightly uncomfortable position. Once they were both ready, Keith started the engine, and sped away. 

The Cuban had his arms wrapped around Keith’s torso, thumbs aching to rub against the clothed skin but avoiding to do that for fear of tickling him- Lance certainly didn’t want them to crash, the rubs could wait for later. Keith stopped at the traffic light at the end of the road, and turned toward Lance, slightly, still keeping an eye on what was before him, “You comfy back there? I’m trying to avoid potholes, too.”

“Mhm, I’m good, mi amor.” he chirped out, tightening the grip, “How does it feel to be the one who leads for once?” he smirked with a sly grin on his face, an eyebrow up, and Keith turned around in time so that Lance couldn't see how his face heated up, a prepotent blush on his cheeks and ears taking control over him at his boyfriend’s words.

“Wh-why do you have to turn everything into dirty jokes!? Seriously, man, get a grip.” he spat, stuttering and fighting a snicker.

Lance hummed knowingly. “Aw, you love me for that, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I really do...” Keith sighed, chuckling. The light went green, and Keith sped again, making sure to stay in the limits and within the white lines. He knew that the lake was close, and that not many people were going to be there that day, so there was no real need to hurry, besides wanting to lay next to Lance on the green grass and cuddle under a tree.

Keith felt Lance’s warm, gentle embrace, though it was more a safety issue than a real hug, and smiled to himself, grip tightening around the handlebars as he tried to contain his excitement for the upcoming afternoon. The wind made the hair that didn’t fit in the helmet fly around and on Lance’s face, who scrunched his nose, trying to get rid of it as it tickled him.

“That’s it, I’m gettin’ you hair ties for the next trip,” he said, “your mullet’s all over my face, and I’m ticklish!” the Cuban said, almost shouting as the deafening wind, added to the resounding roar of the engine made it almost impossible to hear each other clearly.

“Wh- I’m not letting you tie my hair, Lance… No-uh.” Keith replied, just as loudly.

“Yes. Yes, you are letting me do that, sir. As soon as we get back home I’m texting Rachel to ask her where to get the most heavy-duty hair ties on the market to finally tame your hair. I’ll braid it, or put it into little low pony-tails, like Nadia’s. Mh, I don’t know yet...” Lance nodded, “That or I am afraid you’ll have to cut it.”

Keith scoffed, not distracting himself from the road ahead. “Don’t lie, I know you love my mullet. You used to hate it when we met but I know that, now, you can’t resist its charm, babe.” he smirked.

“Well, it’s true, and that’s why I said ‘I am afraid’, duh!” Lance laughed, letting his head rest on Keith’s shoulder, careful not to lean too much because there was the risk of making the bike lose its balance. He breathed in the cherry scent, almost completely masked by the smell of leather under the sun, and of gas. His shoulder relaxed visibly as he let his arms’ grip fall a bit more loose, still holding onto Keith but with less strength- he knew that his boyfriend wasn’t going to let anything happen to him.

And Keith sensed the same thing when he felt Lance relaxing behind him, and huffing out what he hoped was a sigh of happiness; he smiled at the realisation, which was recurring, that when Lance was there, everything felt different for the better. The simple things, like riding his bike, or watching a movie, or shopping for groceries- everything seemed as if they were in a romantic fairy tale, sappy to the right degree. The colors seemed brighter, his chest felt lighter, and every little thing around him felt pleasant. Of course, Keith had never said it out loud, he felt too embarrassed by things that not even a little child would point out, but he knew that Lance was well aware of his feelings.

“I love you.” he said, and after an initial moment of confusion and shock, Keith felt Lance shifting closer to him, hug back to the original tightness.

“I love you too, Keith.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to write earlier but I took an unplanned nap and watched The Umbrella Academy s2 AGAIN so... Here I am, writing at 11pm. And yes, I'm listening to 'Don't stop me now' too. I'll write the last chapter now, see you in a hour or so :)  
> -  
> ❗DON'T READ AND RUN❗ Leave kudos and comments if you enjoyed this, please. Thank you :D


	7. college AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW lots of swearing and klangst (with a happy ending).

Keith yawned, shoving the books he was going to use later into the old backpack, and throwing it on his shoulder. He glanced back at the room one last time, rapidly going through the mental list of what he had to grab before leaving, and once he came to the conclusion that he had taken all that was necessary, he swung the door of his dorm open and stepped out in the corridor. He didn’t even raise his gaze, and flinched when he felt the door on the dorm in front of his squeak open.

“And where do you think you’re going, querido?” Lance hummed, leaning against the door of his dorm, a grin on his face as he scanned Keith from head to toe, a glimpse of malice in his eyes. 

The latter turned around, offering a shy smile and then bringing a thick eyebrow up, visibly confused. “Hi, babe. I’m, huh, going to the library..?” he said, sounding more like a question than a real answer. And Lance’s expression dropped in a matter of milliseconds.

“Oh, I thought...” he trailed off, huffing out a nervous laugh, “Today we- nevermind, it's… It's my fault.” he whispered, voice barely coming out, sounding more devastated than ever. Keith’s heart clenched in his chest, mind racing to remember what, exactly, Lance was talking about. It was nobody’s birthday, so he quickly discarded that idea- and as soon as he did that, the realisation clicked in. He’d promised Lance that they were going to cuddle that afternoon, and Keith cursed under his breath, fists tight, nails digging in his palm as he profusely insulted himself in his head, watching Lance’s shoulders sag, his gaze sad, teary.

“S’okay if you forgot, you got many things to do!” Lance fumbled for words, visibly uncomfortable, “Good luck with- with what you gotta do. Huh, bye, love you.” Lance muttered, eyes fixed to his feet, and immediately went back into his room without even letting Keith say anything- not that the latter had any words, at the moment. Keith heard his boyfriend lock the door, and cursed at himself, out loud. How did he forget?

Lance had failed an important exam that he’d been preparing for three whole weeks, studying every day without interruption, and thus making it hard for Keith to be with him- he wouldn’t have given his boyfriend the attention he deserved, and he didn’t want to make him feel like he was of no use, so Lance had opted to always meet before class, but only that. Then he’d failed that exam, and didn’t feel like being with anyone- even Hunk, his roommate, had tried to leave him alone, only coming back for the night. Everyone knew better than crowding the Cuban man whenever he felt under the weather, no matter why, and Lance immensely appreciated his friends’ conscious effort to understand him, even when he didn’t understand himself either. And Keith had forgotten like an  _ idiot. _

Lance had been under so much pressure, constantly torn between his crushing need to get perfect grades, work on the weekends to earn some desperately-needed money, hang out with his friends and Keith and trying to keep his attitude upbeat- that he’d had a crushing breakdown after failing his exam. Tears, yells, punches to the wall, pulled hair- Keith had never seen his boyfriend so upset, so broken. That’s when he had decided that enough was enough, and that Lance needed to rest properly, willy-nilly. For this very reason, the Japanese had texted Lance, warning him that no matter if he was okay with that or not, Keith was going to swing by and stay with him all afternoon and all night long on the upcoming Friday. Hunk had even happily agreed to sleep in Keith’s room for that night. And it was Friday. It was Friday, and Keith, the one who’d had the idea in the first place, had entirely forgotten about that. He felt like banging his head against the concrete, now.

Keith went back to his room, mindlessly dropping the backpack, and immediately texted Hunk, fanned. He had to fix this  _ now. _

**> KoGAYne:** _hey hunk, my man, i need you, please._

**> Hunkalicious:** _ hi, what for?? you ok?? _

**> KoGAYne:** _ no. i messed up, i forgot about today. i need your help, if you can. _

**> Hunkalicious:** _ ow shit, thats rough. im here, what do you need??  _

Keith’s grip on the phone tightened, fingers trembling above the keyboard. What did he need, exactly? He didn’t even know. The man breathed in and out, slowly, trying to regain his composure, keeping the tears at bay.

**> Hunkalicious:** _ keith?? you there?? _

**> KoGAYne:** _ yes, sorry. i need a piece of advice. what do i do with lance? do i try and talk to him or not? im lost, hunk. i feel like shit. i let him down. fuck.  _

**> Hunkalicious:** _ keith!! calm down. if i were you i’d go talk to him. maybe explain why you forgot. if he’s still upset then wait until tomorrow tho ok?? dont crowd him too much pls, we dont want him to get worse yknow?? _

**> KoGAYne:** _ yes, ok ok. thanks man, really. i dont know what id do without you, hunk. i’ll go talk to lance now. thank you again, ily. bye!  _

**> Hunkalicious:** _ lemme know how it goes. i have class now, see ya and good luck!! :) _

Keith slid the phone in his pocket, and changed into something more comfortable. He was in front of Lance’s dorm in an instant, hand hovering in front of the door, uncertain. He knocked on it, stomach churning, eyes burning. He watched as the door swung open, Lance right in front of him. He looked like he’d been crying, eyes red-rimmed and shinier than usual, lips still quivering, even when he offered a shy, visibly tired smile.

“Hey…” Keith said, tentatively, “Can I come in, please?”

Lance nodded almost immediately, yet slowly, lacking his usual enthusiasm; he headed for the bed and sat on it, folding his hands in his lap, gaze fixed on them. Keith sat down next to him, but not too close. The urge to hug Lance, to squeeze him into a tight embrace, made Keith’s skin crawl and boil painfully, but he swallowed it down, taking a shaky breath as he turned to face his boyfriend. He didn’t know what to say other than-

“I’m sorry.” Lance muttered, preceding him. He curled his hands into fists as they gripped at the jeans fabric, arms straight as his whole body trembled uncontrollably. “I’m so fucking sorry, Keith. I- fuck, I always do this. I ask for too much, I forget that people- that  _ you  _ have other things to care about and-”

“Lance, no. Please, just stop.” Keith interrupted him, tone soft yet firm, “I’m the one who’s sorry. I feel like shit for forgetting something so important. You are important, Lance, very important, you know that, right? You are so, so important to me. You aren’t asking for ‘too much’! Lance, you have the right to ask for- for me to be  _ there, _ and I am a total dick for forgetting. It’s my fault only, okay? You- you didn’t do anything wrong, baby. Please.” Keith fretted, scooting closer to Lance without ever touching him, not yet.

Lance repressed a self-deprecatory scoff, and tears spilled freely from his ocean eyes. “I act like I'm the only one who's got things to do in life, like- like the selfish asshole I am."

"I just told you, you're not a 'selfish asshole', alright? Just tell me what I can do to fix this, to make it up to you, if you allow me to. I- I want you to be alright, and I feel like puking at the thought that I hurt you like this." Keith confessed. His whole body was trembling, not as much as Lance's, but it didn't go unnoticed by the latter, whose gaze softened. He'd never been angry at Keith for forgetting, but he feared that his boyfriend didn't think he was telling the truth. Lance tentatively moved his hand to rest it on Keith's, breath shaky and hitched. The Japanese leaned into the touch, letting their fingers entangle. 

"It's- it's okay, Keith." he hiccupped, "I overreacted and-"

"No, no. You had the right to be upset, to cry- to let it out. And I made things worse. God, I'm so fucking mortified, babe. I…" Keith trailed off, lowering his amethyst gaze to the eggshell sheet. "Please, forgive me. I hurt you now of all times, I'm a real dick."

"You're not," Lance coaxed, hiccups dying down, "you're human. I forget things too, all the time! You know I do. I was already emotionally compromised and this little thing was the fatal blow, but if it had happened under normal circumstances, I wouldn't have reacted like that. It's my fault, too." he finished, gaze warm, lips quivering in the most gentle grin he could muster at the moment. It was crooked, the pain still there, but sincere nonetheless. Keith hinted the littlest smile, and released a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"So…" he started, voice low and watery, "peace?"

"Peace." Lance nodded, drawing his boyfriend into a warm hug, "That was way too dramatic. Let's never do this again, I hate it when you cry."

"Yeah, same." Keith hummed with a low chuckle.

They spent the remainder of the afternoon and the evening cuddling and kissing, huddling for warmth and comfort, barely speaking a word, letting their delicate touches and gentle smiles speak for them.

**_fin._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's dooooone! I am well aware that I'm super late with this, and I'm sorry. As always, don't forget to come and say hi on [my tumblr](https://theforgottendaydreamer.tumblr.com/) if you want. Thanks for reading, see you soon :D  
> -  
> ❗DON'T READ AND RUN❗ Leave kudos and comments if you enjoyed this, please. Thank you :D


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